Third person dies in Arizona 'sweatbox' case
Story Highlights
"Sweatbox" retreat claims third victim, a Minnesota woman
Retreat participants fell ill after spending hours in hot, dome-like structure
"Spiritual Warrior" program was led by self-help guru James Arthur Ray
Police are conducting a homicide investigation into "sweatbox" deaths
(CNN) -- A woman hospitalized after spending time in a sauna-like "sweatbox" has died, bringing the total fatalities to three, authorities said late Saturday.
Two people died and were 19 injured after spending up to two hours inside this "sweatbox" at an Arizona resort.
In addition to the deaths, 18 others were injured at the October 8 event at Angel Valley Retreat Center near Sedona, Arizona.
The latest victim, Lizabeth Neuman, 49, was a Minnesota mother of three. She died at the Flagstaff Medical Center, the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office said.
There were up to 65 visitors, ages 30 to 60, at the resort attending the "Spiritual Warrior" program by self-help expert James Arthur Ray, according to authorities.
Participants spent up to two hours inside the sweatbox, a dome-like structure covered with tarps and blankets, the sheriff's office said. Hot rocks and water are used to create steam in the enclosed environment.
Neuman's attorney, Lou Diesel, told CNN her family is cooperating with the investigation and once it's complete, he will "take all the appropriate actions in response to those responsible for Liz's death."
read more here
http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/10/18/arizona.sweatbox.death/index.html
Sunday, October 18, 2009
QuiltMakers of Boyertown sending "home" over to the troops
Plan sewn up to ship 100 quilts to troops
By Brandie Kessler - The (Pottstown) Mercury via Associated Press
Posted : Sunday Oct 18, 2009 8:25:58 EDT
BOYERTOWN, Pa. — Hundreds of hours of tedious work, huge heaps of colorful fabric and an endless amount of love and gratitude were sewn into 100 quilts crafted by members of the QuiltMakers of Boyertown, which will be on their way to troops serving in Iraq in the near future.
"I just thought it would be something from home," said Bobbie Dewey, a member of the group based less than 40 miles northwest of Philadelphia, whose own home is in nearby Pottstown.
A small "something from home," Dewey explained, can mean a great deal to a soldier when he or she is in a war zone hundreds of miles away from their friends and family members. She knows firsthand just how far that distance spans, as her sons, Geoffrey Ostrowski, 21, and Matthew Ostrowski, 24, served in the Army in Iraq and Afghanistan, respectively.
Having previously made Christmas stockings to send to one of her son's units when he was serving in Afghanistan around the holidays, Dewey said she had the idea for a QuiltMakers project: make 100 quilts to send to service members to give them a touch of the comfort of home.
"When my son came home from Afghanistan, I saw this red and white thing in his bag," Dewey said. "It was his stocking. He said 'I'll never get rid of it.'"
Dewey realized that a stocking that meant so much to her son, who had family at home waiting and praying for him, might mean as much or perhaps more to a soldier who did not have a strong support system at home.
"There are some boys over there who don't get the letter every day from mom or sister," she said.
read more here
Plan sewn up to ship 100 quilts to troops
By Brandie Kessler - The (Pottstown) Mercury via Associated Press
Posted : Sunday Oct 18, 2009 8:25:58 EDT
BOYERTOWN, Pa. — Hundreds of hours of tedious work, huge heaps of colorful fabric and an endless amount of love and gratitude were sewn into 100 quilts crafted by members of the QuiltMakers of Boyertown, which will be on their way to troops serving in Iraq in the near future.
"I just thought it would be something from home," said Bobbie Dewey, a member of the group based less than 40 miles northwest of Philadelphia, whose own home is in nearby Pottstown.
A small "something from home," Dewey explained, can mean a great deal to a soldier when he or she is in a war zone hundreds of miles away from their friends and family members. She knows firsthand just how far that distance spans, as her sons, Geoffrey Ostrowski, 21, and Matthew Ostrowski, 24, served in the Army in Iraq and Afghanistan, respectively.
Having previously made Christmas stockings to send to one of her son's units when he was serving in Afghanistan around the holidays, Dewey said she had the idea for a QuiltMakers project: make 100 quilts to send to service members to give them a touch of the comfort of home.
"When my son came home from Afghanistan, I saw this red and white thing in his bag," Dewey said. "It was his stocking. He said 'I'll never get rid of it.'"
Dewey realized that a stocking that meant so much to her son, who had family at home waiting and praying for him, might mean as much or perhaps more to a soldier who did not have a strong support system at home.
"There are some boys over there who don't get the letter every day from mom or sister," she said.
read more here
Plan sewn up to ship 100 quilts to troops
Woman, 97, has a front seat to homelessness
Her son's would not let her go into a home to die alone, so they all live in a car just so they can stay together. How many other people just take care of themselves and abandon their family members instead of remembering what Christ had to say about how we are supposed to treat even strangers?
Woman, 97, has a front seat to homelessness
Bessie Mae Berger and her two sons, 60 and 62, live in a rusty 1973 Suburban. Getting a place is hard because they insist on staying together.
By Bob Pool
October 16, 2009
She's 97 years old and homeless. Bessie Mae Berger has her two boys, and that's about all.
She and sons Larry Wilkerson, 60, and Charlie Wilkerson, 62, live in a 1973 Chevrolet Suburban they park each night on a busy Venice street.
For the most part, it's a lonely life -- days spent passing the time away in public parks, parking lots and shopping centers around the Westside.
Occasionally, when they need cash, Bessie sits by the side of the road and seeks handouts. She holds a cardboard sign in her lap: "I am 97 years old. Homeless. Broke. Need help please."
read more here
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-bessie16-2009oct16,0,3547096,full.story
35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'
37 "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
40 "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
Matthew 25
Bessie Mae Berger sleeps in the front seat of the 1973 Chevolet Suburban she shares with sons Larry Wilkerson, 60, and Charlie Wilkerson, 62. Among the items on the dashboard: lottery tickets. (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)
Woman, 97, has a front seat to homelessness
Bessie Mae Berger and her two sons, 60 and 62, live in a rusty 1973 Suburban. Getting a place is hard because they insist on staying together.
By Bob Pool
October 16, 2009
She's 97 years old and homeless. Bessie Mae Berger has her two boys, and that's about all.
She and sons Larry Wilkerson, 60, and Charlie Wilkerson, 62, live in a 1973 Chevrolet Suburban they park each night on a busy Venice street.
For the most part, it's a lonely life -- days spent passing the time away in public parks, parking lots and shopping centers around the Westside.
Occasionally, when they need cash, Bessie sits by the side of the road and seeks handouts. She holds a cardboard sign in her lap: "I am 97 years old. Homeless. Broke. Need help please."
read more here
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-bessie16-2009oct16,0,3547096,full.story
Balloon boy' incident was 'hoax,' sheriff says
'Balloon boy' incident was 'hoax,' sheriff says
The case of a giant Mylar balloon, which ascended into the sky late last week amid fears a 6-year-old boy was aboard, has been determined to be a "hoax" and a "publicity stunt," Larimer County, Colorado, Sheriff Jim Alderden said today. full story
Thank God no one was hurt over this.
Plus add in all the law enforcement looking for him.
The case of a giant Mylar balloon, which ascended into the sky late last week amid fears a 6-year-old boy was aboard, has been determined to be a "hoax" and a "publicity stunt," Larimer County, Colorado, Sheriff Jim Alderden said today. full story
Thank God no one was hurt over this.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Colorado National Guard helos mobilized in balloon incident
Plus add in all the law enforcement looking for him.
The War at Home
The War at Home
Jeremiah Workman
Staff Sergeant, United States Marine Corps
Posted: October 17, 2009
Earlier this month, in a chilling reminder of our enemy's strength and capabilities, Taliban forces launched a coordinated assault on two remote outposts in Afghanistan's remote Nuristan Province along the Pakistani frontier. Eight American soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division were killed in action, and almost forty more were wounded in the hours-long defense of their firebase.
In 2004, I faced a determined and courageous enemy inside a large house during the Battle of Fallujah while serving with the U.S. Marine Corps. Some forty insurgents had come to the house to protect a meeting of local leaders. We stumbled across this gathering while searching for weapons and ammunition. The initial contact surprised both sides, and while we recovered quickly, part of my platoon was cut off and trapped on the second floor of the house. For almost four hours, we launched repeated assaults up the stairwell to try and rescue our fellow Marines. We faced grenades, machine gun and small arms fire every time we tried to push up onto the second floor. The battle only ended when our battalion executive officer ordered us to pull back and the house was destroyed by laser guided bombs.
Such desperate fighting has unseen consequences. Our battle in the house, just like the sharp and intense clash the 4th Infantry Division just endured in Afghanistan, can be so traumatic that the human brain suffers long-term consequences. I did not realize that until I came home in early 2005. I had anger issues and a short-fuse, though before Fallujah I had been easy going and relaxed. I couldn't sleep, and when I did, the same nightmare invaded my dreams. I would be back on the stairwell, but this time unarmed as insurgents chased me. Every morning, I'd wake up in a cold sweat, shaking from the experience.
I began to self-medicate. My professional life fell apart, as did my marriage. Finally, after suffering a flashback at Parris Island, where I served as a Drill Instructor, I was sent to a doctor who diagnosed me with acute Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
read more here
The War At Home
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Former Vietnam Vet Mullen urges appreciation of U.S. military
Former Vietnam Vet Mullen urges appreciation of U.S. military
The chairman, who has spent 41 years in uniform, reflected on his early years of service as a Vietnam War veteran. He said he never wants another servicemember to experience humility and disgrace when wearing their uniform.
"As a Vietnam vet, I have lived and served in a time when America walked away from her military, when wearing the uniform was the last thing you wanted to do in public,” he said. “No returning warrior should ever feel that scorn again."
COSTOS FOR THE LOVE OF JACK
“Though I speak with the tongues of men and angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand the mysteries and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could move mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.” St. Paul Corinthians 13:1-2
COSTOS FOR THE LOVE OF JACK
PTSD
POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER
Presented by
Kathie Costos
Namguardianangel@aol.com
www.Namguardianangel.org
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
•The common causes;
–War
–Public services such as police and fire department incidences
–Abuse/rape
–Violence/crime
–Terrorism
–Natural Disasters
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
•PTSD was once linked to participants of war. Many years ago they called it “shell shock” because those who suffered were visibly seen to twitch or jump while their nerves were uncontrollable.
•Vietnam changed the way the psychiatric community viewed those who suffered. From the research done on Vietnam Veterans guidelines were established that assisted in the treatment of a wide range of mental illnesses.
September 11th 2001
•When this Nation was attacked by terrorists the psychiatric community was prepared and they were rushed to treat the thousands of people traumatized by this unspeakable inhumanity.
•They helped the victims and the first responders who valiantly rushed to their aid.
•Years later we are still feeling the pain from the loss of life and the loss of our sense of security.
Thousands still suffer from PTSD
•The government estimates that 500,000 Vietnam Veterans sufferer from PTSD. Many are no longer with us. They were unable to cope with the illness and the symptoms so severe that it destroyed their families, their ability to work and their ability to find hope. Alcohol and drugs that were used as self-medication no longer killed memories or calmed nerves.
Those who fought in war are joined by thousands of others.
•Terror
–Anyone who has been in a life threatening situation.
–Anyone who has been beaten.
–Anyone who has been raped.
–Anyone who has been involved in something they lost control of.
–Storms, accidents, abuse, gang crimes, and military actions.
–All potential catalysts for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
National Center for Post-traumatic Stress
Effects of traumatic stress in a disaster situation.
•There are many effects on people with PTSD, emotional as well as physical. These are the major effects associated with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
•
Effects of Traumatic Stress in a Disaster Situation
National Center of Post Traumatic Stress
Modified from
Disaster Mental Health Response Handbook
Emotional and Cognitive
•Emotional effects
–Shock
–Terror
–Irritability
–Blame
–Anger
–Guilt
–Grief or sadness
–Emotional numbing
–Loss of pleasure
–Difficulty feeling happy
–Difficulty experiencing loving feelings
•Cognitive effects
–Impaired concentration
–Impaired decision making ability
–Memory impairment
–Disbelief
–Confusion
–Nightmares
–Decreased self-esteem
–Decreased self-efficacy
–Self-blame
–Intrusive thoughts and memories
–Worry
–Dissociation
–Dreamlike or spacey feeling
Physical and Interpersonal
•Physical Effects
–Fatigue, exhaustion
–Insomnia
–Cardiovascular strain
–Startle response
–Hyper-arousal
–Increased physical pain
–Reduced immune response
–Headaches
–Gastrointestinal upset
–Decreased appetite
–Decreased libido
–Vulnerability to illness
•Interpersonal Effects
–Increased relational conflict
–Social withdrawal
–Reduced relational intimacy
–Alienation
–Impaired work performance
–Impaired school performance
–Decreased satisfaction
–Distrust
–Externalization of blame
–Feeling abandoned or rejected
–Over protectiveness
–
What to do.
•The best advice I can give is that you first understand what PTSD is. Once you know what you are dealing with, it is easier to deal with.
•Not understanding leads to conclusions that are wrong.
•Not understanding prolongs recovery.
•Understanding leads to healing and finding peace with the past.
5.2 million have PTSD during the course of a year.
•7.8% of Americans deal with PTSD
•According to the National Center for PTSD
•1,700,000 Vietnam Veterans in all have experienced “clinical” serious stress reaction symptoms.
•Nearly 500,000 or roughly 15% Vietnam Theater veterans had PTSD from a survey conducted from 1986-1988.
The numbers are increasing
•The Veterans Administration has seen an increase in the numbers of veterans from Korea, Vietnam, Gulf War, Afghanistan and Iraq seeking treatment.
•September 11th added to the civilian population seeking treatment.
•Weather related issues are also adding to the numbers of people seeking help in this country and around the world.
The new generation
•The new generation of war wounded from Afghanistan to Iraq troops will suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder at a rate of one out of five.
•We are seeing the changes in those who return from these missions and already the families are asking “Why?”
•Until the general public has some understanding as to the nature of the illness, more families will ask the same question. We need to start giving answers.
We can and must change attitudes toward mental illness.
•Our attitude toward anyone claiming they have a mental illness keeps them from seeking help.
•Healing is possible with medication and treatment.
•Yet it can only get worse without help.
•Learn all you can and support those who are in need of help.
Author of FOR THE LOVE OF JACK
•FOR THE LOVE OF JACK by Kathie Costos
•In a time when half of all marriages end in divorce, they stayed together. When most were only interested in their own happiness, they remembered what love was. What she did, she did because it was the right thing to do and she did it for the love of Jack.
The book is our story.
•But it could be about anyone who suffers with PTSD. It was written to assist by offering the facts from the standpoint of life and not clinical observations. Although books from this perspective helped to understand what the illness was, they did little to guide in how to live with it.
I am not alone!
•Considering how many people have PTSD and other illnesses because of PTSD I knew I was not alone. You are not alone either. There are many places to go for help, support and understanding.
Kathie Costos
Namguardianangel@aol.com copy right 2002
Revised
The right to publish and reproduce is expressly granted to the NEW ENGLAND SHELTER FOR HOMELESS VETERANS with the best wishes of the author Kathie Costos free of charge. You may share this work with anyone provided you adhere to copy right laws. For further information or permission to reproduce, contact Namguardianangel@aol.com.
Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast our devils : freely ye have received, freely give.
The words of Christ as direction to His Disciples Matthew 10:8
That part right there is how I got into this mess in the first place. I wanted to do this part time and was very happy doing it back before 9-11. By the time I finished the book, I knew part time wouldn't be possible any more. Now is not the time for me to jump back on my soap box and lament the passing of innocence among the dog eat dog do-goods implanted among the righteous. Now is the time to offer some insight to those who have yet to see.
The shame inflicted on the Vietnam veterans by some to their faces, was not the greatest insult to them. The greatest insult to them was the men in charge, in leadership over them, refusing to fight for them.
I thought long and hard about this but it is being replicated today when leaders untouched by their own deep demons, refused to do anything for their men and women in their command when they were killing themselves suffering from the hounds of hell at their heals. They knew but some refused to acknowledge the same condition their own fathers returned from war with. Today, they do the same when they refuse to see what Vietnam veterans returned from war with ignoring the veterans coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan.
The reports came out years ago about the suicides, the depth of suffering, the numbers rising at the same time redeployments added to the problem. We heard lip service when we were told every measure was being taken to save lives and "heal" the warrior mind. They put out programs to shut the public up for a time while they pretended to do something, but we saw the numbers go up. This wasn't leadership. This was a deadly deception by some. Other generals, commanders, all the way down the line were waiting for real answers and for someone to finally stop more dying after war than died during it, but they are still waiting.
Admiral Mullen, I think is a very nice man and that he really cares, but it's time for him to stop looking at the easy targets of his own regrets and begin to look at what we really got wrong in this country when it came to those we sent to risk their lives. He will find only what he seeks and if he thinks he already has the answers to the problems Vietnam veterans came home with, he'll never look for the truth.
If you want to read my book go herehttp://www.namguardianangel.com/
Man, girl dead, 2nd girl grave, in Pine Hills drowning
Man, girl dead, 2nd girl grave, in Pine Hills drowning
Susan Jacobson
Sentinel Staff Writer
12:48 a.m. EDT, October 17, 2009
Philippe Casseus was sitting by the porch of his Pine Hills condo, reading his Bible and keeping an eye on his 16-year-old daughter and her friend as they played in the community pool.
In an instant, tragedy struck as the girls began to drown. Casseus ran to save them, but he succumbed. None of the three could swim, said Diesseul Casseus, 58, Philippe Casseus' father.
"My first son and my first granddaughter," he sobbed at the Balboa Drive condo he shared with Philippe and Ruth Casseus.
Although the girl's grandfather said she had died, deputies said late Friday that she was in grave condition at Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children. Her friend, whose name was not released, was pronounced dead at Health Central in Ocoee.
The accident happened a little after 5 p.m. at Laurel Hills condominiums.
Jermichael Johnson, 28, had just arrived home from work at a Publix warehouse and heard Orange County K-9 Deputy Ronnie Bradshaw yelling for help.
The deputy had been on patrol nearby and responded to a 911 call.
read more here
Man, girl dead, 2nd girl grave, in Pine Hills drowning
Susan Jacobson
Sentinel Staff Writer
12:48 a.m. EDT, October 17, 2009
Philippe Casseus was sitting by the porch of his Pine Hills condo, reading his Bible and keeping an eye on his 16-year-old daughter and her friend as they played in the community pool.
In an instant, tragedy struck as the girls began to drown. Casseus ran to save them, but he succumbed. None of the three could swim, said Diesseul Casseus, 58, Philippe Casseus' father.
"My first son and my first granddaughter," he sobbed at the Balboa Drive condo he shared with Philippe and Ruth Casseus.
Although the girl's grandfather said she had died, deputies said late Friday that she was in grave condition at Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children. Her friend, whose name was not released, was pronounced dead at Health Central in Ocoee.
The accident happened a little after 5 p.m. at Laurel Hills condominiums.
Jermichael Johnson, 28, had just arrived home from work at a Publix warehouse and heard Orange County K-9 Deputy Ronnie Bradshaw yelling for help.
The deputy had been on patrol nearby and responded to a 911 call.
read more here
Man, girl dead, 2nd girl grave, in Pine Hills drowning
Friday, October 16, 2009
Student killed, officer wounded at South Carolina High school
S.C. student dead, officer hurt after fight at school
Story Highlights
NEW: Police confirm incident at South Carolina high school
Student, 16, dies after struggle with school resource officer
School hasn't named student or officer
Officer being treated for injuries at hospital, spokeswoman says
(CNN) -- An altercation between a South Carolina high school student and a school resource officer ended tragically Friday with the student dead of a gunshot wound and the officer hospitalized after being stabbed.
The incident took place about 8:25 a.m., and both the officer and the 16-year-old student were transported to Conway Medical Center, where the student died, said Sgt. Robert Kegler of the Horry County Police Department.
The resource officer, who was a Horry County police officer assigned to the school, remains hospitalized, he said.
read more here
http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/10/16/school.shooting/index.html
Story Highlights
NEW: Police confirm incident at South Carolina high school
Student, 16, dies after struggle with school resource officer
School hasn't named student or officer
Officer being treated for injuries at hospital, spokeswoman says
(CNN) -- An altercation between a South Carolina high school student and a school resource officer ended tragically Friday with the student dead of a gunshot wound and the officer hospitalized after being stabbed.
The incident took place about 8:25 a.m., and both the officer and the 16-year-old student were transported to Conway Medical Center, where the student died, said Sgt. Robert Kegler of the Horry County Police Department.
The resource officer, who was a Horry County police officer assigned to the school, remains hospitalized, he said.
read more here
http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/10/16/school.shooting/index.html
Lax security blamed after deadly shooting at Camp Liberty
This was one of those times when I had deep compassion fatigue. I thought that since everything was done the way people like me keep pushing for it to be done, getting help as soon as possible, getting help in theater, but they still ended up dead, there really wasn't much point in fighting to get anyone into treatment. Yes, I know it is never too late to get help and that the majority will heal, lead good lives and really live a life with help, the sad part is, we just can't save them all. I really wish we could.
Monday, May 11, 2009
5 US soldiers shot at Camp Liberty in Iraq
Update on soldiers killed at stress clinic at Camp Liberty
Updates on Camp Liberty shooting
Dr. Matthew Houseal one of the dead among Camp Liberty Shooting
Camp Liberty shootings leave a lot of questions
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Army IDs soldiers shot by Sgt. at Camp Liberty
Is Camp Liberty the tragedy that will end the excuses?
Bodies of servicemen killed by comrade come home from Camp Liberty
Mental health bill finds new urgency after Camp Liberty tragedy
Mom of GI killed in Camp Liberty clinic shooting seeks info
I almost forgot how many posts were about Camp Liberty. What I didn't forget was the fact that we failed them. We failed Sgt. Russell, his family and Maj. Matthew P. Houseal, Sgt. Christian E. Bueno-Galdos, Spc. Jacob D. Barton and Pfc. Michael E. Yates Jr. plus their families. We also failed the men and women in their units, their friends and their neighbors. We failed the others who fell through the cracks already hanging onto hope waiting for their turn to be helped. What we have to also remember is that we didn't fail all of the veterans with PTSD.
18 Veterans commit suicide everyday. That's appalling. That is also just the ones they know about. Too many more are never reported as suicides. There are over 10,000 a year attempting to commit suicide. We need to keep fighting for them just as hard as we fight for the ones we cannot save. We also need to keep fighting for the ones we did get into help, help that wouldn't have been there if we didn't care in the first place.
I applaud Vietnam veterans often when I bring up the point other veterans came home with the same kind of wound inside of them, but it took the Vietnam veterans to have it recognized and treated. What I keep forgetting to mention is that it took the American people to listen to their voices and do something about it. We heard them, at least some of us did. Imagine how many lives we managed to save!
Still stories like this end up reminding us just how much more we have to do before we can honestly say we did all we could do to save as many as possible.
I am reviewing a book written by Victor Montgomery III, Healing Suicidal Veterans. This book, like so many others, would not be possible if people didn't care, take a stand and demand someone do something. Maybe too many Moms didn't recognize their sons. Too many wives ended up knowing there was something really wrong with their veteran husbands. Maybe hearing how much they wanted to go back to Vietnam gave us enough of a clue, they just didn't feel as if they belonged here anymore. How could they really? We didn't make them feel welcomed.
We didn't want to hear what they had to say and we didn't want to establish any safety nets to be ready. We did it reluctantly. We never wanted to really witness war. That's what hurt them the most.
Ever since we sent them to go into combat, it's been easy to wave a flag and cheer. It's even easy to show up when they come home but we want to go back to our own lives, pretending they can do the same. It's just easier that way.
They were like us before they went. They stopped being like us when they went. When they came home, they even stopped being like the others taking their place, because they tasted war, risked their lives, saw things no one is ever really prepared for and they became veterans. This title they will carry the rest of their lives, but we want to pretend they just go back to being our son/daughter, husband/wife, parent, neighbor, co-worker or friend. Yet if we really thought about them, we'd want to know what they have going on inside of them even if we didn't want to know all the details. After all, if we can listen horror stories that are a part of normal "life" from "regular" people, then why can't we listen to them?
We pay to read horror books, go to movies, decorate our yards for Halloween and spend a fortune on costumes, but real life of what they go through is just too much for us? This makes no sense at all. Pretending they we just away for vacation will not help them heal and if we don't then we'll end up with a lot more horror scenes like Camp Liberty with real funerals that didn't need to happen.
Lax security blamed after deadly shooting
By Michelle Tan - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Oct 16, 2009 18:32:02 EDT
The Camp Liberty Combat Stress Center in Baghdad, Iraq, where a soldier is accused of shooting and killing four other soldiers and a Naval officer on May 11, had “numerous physical security deficiencies” that put staff and patients at risk, according to a report released Friday.
Many of the patients seen by the center’s staff are “potentially violent,” according to the AR 15-6 investigation into the shooting. And the report highlighted several problems, among them inadequate locks on the one-story building’s exterior doors, training for staff and storage for weapons.
The investigation also found the 54th Engineer Battalion, the unit to which the accused shooter belongs, did not have formal written policies and procedures in place regarding behavioral health treatment. Instead, the battalion relied heavily on the battalion chaplain’s expertise.
Sgt. John M. Russell is accused in the shooting. He faces five counts of murder, two specifications of attempted murder and one count of aggravated assault.
Russell, who was 44 at the time of the shootings, is in pre-trial confinement in Kuwait. He was escorted into the Combat Stress Center where he got into an argument with the staff and was asked to leave, according to original reports.
read more here
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/10/army_campliberty_101609w/
Monday, May 11, 2009
5 US soldiers shot at Camp Liberty in Iraq
Update on soldiers killed at stress clinic at Camp Liberty
Updates on Camp Liberty shooting
Dr. Matthew Houseal one of the dead among Camp Liberty Shooting
Camp Liberty shootings leave a lot of questions
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Army IDs soldiers shot by Sgt. at Camp Liberty
Maj. Matthew P. Houseal, 54, of Amarillo, Texas;
Sgt. Christian E. Bueno-Galdos, 25, of Paterson, N.J.;
Spc. Jacob D. Barton, 20, of Lenox, Mo.; and
Pfc. Michael E. Yates Jr., 19, of Federalsburg, Md.
Is Camp Liberty the tragedy that will end the excuses?
Bodies of servicemen killed by comrade come home from Camp Liberty
Mental health bill finds new urgency after Camp Liberty tragedy
Mom of GI killed in Camp Liberty clinic shooting seeks info
I almost forgot how many posts were about Camp Liberty. What I didn't forget was the fact that we failed them. We failed Sgt. Russell, his family and Maj. Matthew P. Houseal, Sgt. Christian E. Bueno-Galdos, Spc. Jacob D. Barton and Pfc. Michael E. Yates Jr. plus their families. We also failed the men and women in their units, their friends and their neighbors. We failed the others who fell through the cracks already hanging onto hope waiting for their turn to be helped. What we have to also remember is that we didn't fail all of the veterans with PTSD.
18 Veterans commit suicide everyday. That's appalling. That is also just the ones they know about. Too many more are never reported as suicides. There are over 10,000 a year attempting to commit suicide. We need to keep fighting for them just as hard as we fight for the ones we cannot save. We also need to keep fighting for the ones we did get into help, help that wouldn't have been there if we didn't care in the first place.
I applaud Vietnam veterans often when I bring up the point other veterans came home with the same kind of wound inside of them, but it took the Vietnam veterans to have it recognized and treated. What I keep forgetting to mention is that it took the American people to listen to their voices and do something about it. We heard them, at least some of us did. Imagine how many lives we managed to save!
Still stories like this end up reminding us just how much more we have to do before we can honestly say we did all we could do to save as many as possible.
I am reviewing a book written by Victor Montgomery III, Healing Suicidal Veterans. This book, like so many others, would not be possible if people didn't care, take a stand and demand someone do something. Maybe too many Moms didn't recognize their sons. Too many wives ended up knowing there was something really wrong with their veteran husbands. Maybe hearing how much they wanted to go back to Vietnam gave us enough of a clue, they just didn't feel as if they belonged here anymore. How could they really? We didn't make them feel welcomed.
We didn't want to hear what they had to say and we didn't want to establish any safety nets to be ready. We did it reluctantly. We never wanted to really witness war. That's what hurt them the most.
Ever since we sent them to go into combat, it's been easy to wave a flag and cheer. It's even easy to show up when they come home but we want to go back to our own lives, pretending they can do the same. It's just easier that way.
They were like us before they went. They stopped being like us when they went. When they came home, they even stopped being like the others taking their place, because they tasted war, risked their lives, saw things no one is ever really prepared for and they became veterans. This title they will carry the rest of their lives, but we want to pretend they just go back to being our son/daughter, husband/wife, parent, neighbor, co-worker or friend. Yet if we really thought about them, we'd want to know what they have going on inside of them even if we didn't want to know all the details. After all, if we can listen horror stories that are a part of normal "life" from "regular" people, then why can't we listen to them?
We pay to read horror books, go to movies, decorate our yards for Halloween and spend a fortune on costumes, but real life of what they go through is just too much for us? This makes no sense at all. Pretending they we just away for vacation will not help them heal and if we don't then we'll end up with a lot more horror scenes like Camp Liberty with real funerals that didn't need to happen.
Women veterans, military members gather for inaugural summit
Women veterans, military members gather for inaugural summit
by Elizabeth Dunbar, Minnesota Public Radio
October 16, 2009
St. Paul, Minn. — The number of women in the military has increased over the years, but it's been only recently that Minnesota has set aside a special state program for women veterans.
This weekend, the state veterans affairs department hosts its first summit catering specifically to women veterans and women actively serving in the military. About 300 women are expected at the event, which takes place Friday night and all day Saturday in Bloomington.
The summit is a product of the state's women veterans program, which was established in July 2008. There's designated funding for the program, including for a staff person who coordinates programming and helps women veterans navigate the VA benefits system.
read more here
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2009/10/15/women-veteran-summit/
by Elizabeth Dunbar, Minnesota Public Radio
October 16, 2009
St. Paul, Minn. — The number of women in the military has increased over the years, but it's been only recently that Minnesota has set aside a special state program for women veterans.
This weekend, the state veterans affairs department hosts its first summit catering specifically to women veterans and women actively serving in the military. About 300 women are expected at the event, which takes place Friday night and all day Saturday in Bloomington.
The summit is a product of the state's women veterans program, which was established in July 2008. There's designated funding for the program, including for a staff person who coordinates programming and helps women veterans navigate the VA benefits system.
read more here
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2009/10/15/women-veteran-summit/
Haunting pictures of the children of hero
These are pictures we all need to see to remind us that while they may be "ours" while they are deployed, they are forever the family member they love and miss.
Respect: Comrades of Sgt Lockett carry his coffin, complete with regimental cap, belt and his medals, from the church after the service
Bye bye, Daddy: Haunting pictures of the children of hero Military Cross soldier killed in Afghanistan as he is laid to rest
By Jim Mcbeth
Last updated at 7:50 AM on 16th October 2009
Everyone around them was saying how courageous their father had been.
So Chloe and Connor Lockett did their best to be brave too.
As his coffin passed by them yesterday, borne on the shoulders of his grieving comrades, they scrubbed the tears away with crumpled tissues.
Read more: Haunting pictures of the children of hero Military Cross
Soldier mocked over loss of legs
Soldier mocked over loss of legs
Sapper Weston wants to stay in the Army
A soldier from Somerset who lost both legs and his right arm while serving in Afghanistan has been subjected to cruel taunts over his injuries.
Sapper Matthew Weston, 20, from Taunton, stepped on a bomb while on patrol in Helmand Province on 29 June.
While he was being treated at Selly Oak hospital in Birmingham his mother took him out shopping where they encountered a group of "boisterous" youths.
Rena Weston, 40, said: "They shouted he's lost something... like his legs".
read more here
Soldier mocked over loss of legs
Alpha Company honor for actions in Vietnam, saves home for one of them
Vietnam Vet's Honor For Heroism Saves His Home
By Andy Banker FOX2now.com
October 14, 2009
ST. CLAIR COUNTY, IL (KTVI-FOX2now.com) - President Obama may be unknowingly putting an end to a caboose controversy near Columbia, Illinois. He's about to bestow an honor upon the man who calls that caboose home. Kenny Euge, 60, is a metal sculptor and Vietnam veteran, threatened with eviction after complaints about his house and his art.
Tuesday, he and the other surviving members of the U.S. Army's 11th Armored Calvary's "Alpha" troop, will receive the Presidential Unit Citation for heroism in battle, March 26th, 1970, near the Cambodian border, during the Vietnam War.
That eviction threat faded after news of the award.
"A lot of things that are discarded, really have a lot of value, you know," Euge said outside his home near the St. Clair County-Monroe County border outside Columbia, Illinois.
His artworks include what he calls the "Corvette god": a scuplture made from lawn mower pistons, a Corvette wheel, and a casting of his daughter's face.
"A lot of my stuff, I'm sure comes out of my Vietnam experience," he said. "There's so much stuff out there that can be put together and completely change your thought, that's useful; even down to my house."
He saved the old Missouri Pacific caboose from a scrap heap about 30 years ago. It had sentimental value for a young man who followed in his father's footseps as a railroad worker, footsteps Euge estimates his father tread through that very caboose thousands of times.
read more here
Vietnam Vet's Honor For Heroism Saves His Home
By Andy Banker FOX2now.com
October 14, 2009
ST. CLAIR COUNTY, IL (KTVI-FOX2now.com) - President Obama may be unknowingly putting an end to a caboose controversy near Columbia, Illinois. He's about to bestow an honor upon the man who calls that caboose home. Kenny Euge, 60, is a metal sculptor and Vietnam veteran, threatened with eviction after complaints about his house and his art.
Tuesday, he and the other surviving members of the U.S. Army's 11th Armored Calvary's "Alpha" troop, will receive the Presidential Unit Citation for heroism in battle, March 26th, 1970, near the Cambodian border, during the Vietnam War.
That eviction threat faded after news of the award.
"A lot of things that are discarded, really have a lot of value, you know," Euge said outside his home near the St. Clair County-Monroe County border outside Columbia, Illinois.
His artworks include what he calls the "Corvette god": a scuplture made from lawn mower pistons, a Corvette wheel, and a casting of his daughter's face.
"A lot of my stuff, I'm sure comes out of my Vietnam experience," he said. "There's so much stuff out there that can be put together and completely change your thought, that's useful; even down to my house."
He saved the old Missouri Pacific caboose from a scrap heap about 30 years ago. It had sentimental value for a young man who followed in his father's footseps as a railroad worker, footsteps Euge estimates his father tread through that very caboose thousands of times.
read more here
Vietnam Vet's Honor For Heroism Saves His Home
Volusia talk-show host arrested on more child-sex charges
Volusia talk-show host arrested on more child-sex charges
Nudist F. Douglas Wilhite refused to wear clothes for trip to Sheriff's Office
Susan Jacobson
Sentinel Staff Writer
12:02 a.m. EDT, October 16, 2009
A local AM-radio host Thursday was rearrested on child-sex charges after more teens said he behaved inappropriately with them.
F. Douglas Wilhite, 56, a nudist, was first arrested in July on a charge of having sex with a then-15-year-old boy, the Volusia County Sheriff's Office said. Since then, deputies have tracked down seven more teens they say also were victimized.
read more here
Volusia talk-show host arrested on more child-sex charges
Nudist F. Douglas Wilhite refused to wear clothes for trip to Sheriff's Office
Susan Jacobson
Sentinel Staff Writer
12:02 a.m. EDT, October 16, 2009
A local AM-radio host Thursday was rearrested on child-sex charges after more teens said he behaved inappropriately with them.
F. Douglas Wilhite, 56, a nudist, was first arrested in July on a charge of having sex with a then-15-year-old boy, the Volusia County Sheriff's Office said. Since then, deputies have tracked down seven more teens they say also were victimized.
read more here
Volusia talk-show host arrested on more child-sex charges
Baby survives after falling under train
Baby survives after falling under train
Story Highlights
Baby survives after stroller rolls off railway station platform and into path of train
Baby and stroller were dragged 30 meters further up track
Distraught mother and baby reunited; baby suffered only a cut to forehead
Story Highlights
Baby survives after stroller rolls off railway station platform and into path of train
Baby and stroller were dragged 30 meters further up track
Distraught mother and baby reunited; baby suffered only a cut to forehead
Fort Hood readies for return of 16,000 soldiers
Fort Hood readies for return of 16,000 soldiers
The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Oct 15, 2009 21:56:38 EDT
FORT HOOD, Texas — A central Texas Army post is preparing for the return of about 16,000 soldiers over the next few months.
The 1st Cavalry Division soldiers will start returning from Iraq in November to Fort Hood.
At a town hall meeting Thursday night, the crowd of 500 erupted in cheers when a military official said, “Your loved one is coming home.”
The troops will be home for at least a year before they’re redeployed.
The top U.S. military commander in Baghdad, Maj. Gen. Daniel Bolger, speaking to the Fort Hood families via satellite, said “we are near the finish line,” and he thanked the families for their support.
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/10/ap_army_hood_returning_soldiers_101509/
The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Oct 15, 2009 21:56:38 EDT
FORT HOOD, Texas — A central Texas Army post is preparing for the return of about 16,000 soldiers over the next few months.
The 1st Cavalry Division soldiers will start returning from Iraq in November to Fort Hood.
At a town hall meeting Thursday night, the crowd of 500 erupted in cheers when a military official said, “Your loved one is coming home.”
The troops will be home for at least a year before they’re redeployed.
The top U.S. military commander in Baghdad, Maj. Gen. Daniel Bolger, speaking to the Fort Hood families via satellite, said “we are near the finish line,” and he thanked the families for their support.
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/10/ap_army_hood_returning_soldiers_101509/
Colorado National Guard helos mobilized in balloon incident
Colo. Guard helos mobilized in balloon incident
Staff report
Posted : Friday Oct 16, 2009 5:25:52 EDT
The Colorado Army National Guard was preparing to launch two helicopters to help rescue a 6-year-old boy at first thought to be trapped inside a balloon that floated away from its mooring Friday morning.
Air Force Lt. Col. Susan Romano, a spokesman for the 1st Air Force, which oversees military missions within the U.S., said the Colorado Guard prepared an OH-58 Kiowa helicopter to track the balloon and an UH-60 Black Hawk to attempt a link up with the balloon if needed.
read more here
Colo. Guard helos mobilized in balloon incident
Staff report
Posted : Friday Oct 16, 2009 5:25:52 EDT
The Colorado Army National Guard was preparing to launch two helicopters to help rescue a 6-year-old boy at first thought to be trapped inside a balloon that floated away from its mooring Friday morning.
Air Force Lt. Col. Susan Romano, a spokesman for the 1st Air Force, which oversees military missions within the U.S., said the Colorado Guard prepared an OH-58 Kiowa helicopter to track the balloon and an UH-60 Black Hawk to attempt a link up with the balloon if needed.
read more here
Colo. Guard helos mobilized in balloon incident
Judge backs VA in Desert Storm vet’s suit
Judge backs VA in Desert Storm vet’s suit
By Ed White - The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Oct 15, 2009 20:57:04 EDT
DETROIT — The family of an Army veteran who claims the government failed to diagnose an illness that spread to his wife and two children lost the case Thursday at a federal appeals court, ending five years of litigation.
The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said there is insufficient evidence that doctors at the Department of Veterans Affairs should have known that Arvid Brown Jr. had symptoms of the parasitic disease leishmaniasis after serving in Saudi Arabia in 1991.
Because of that, the three-judge panel said, the VA cannot be held liable for failing to warn that the disease might spread to Brown’s family. Its decision affirmed a 2008 ruling by a federal judge in Detroit.
The court “just continues the pervasive and ongoing effort of the Department of Veterans Affairs to ignore those who have been injured in the first Gulf War,” said the family’s attorney, Robert Walsh.
read more here
Judge backs VA in Desert Storm vets suit
By Ed White - The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Oct 15, 2009 20:57:04 EDT
DETROIT — The family of an Army veteran who claims the government failed to diagnose an illness that spread to his wife and two children lost the case Thursday at a federal appeals court, ending five years of litigation.
The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said there is insufficient evidence that doctors at the Department of Veterans Affairs should have known that Arvid Brown Jr. had symptoms of the parasitic disease leishmaniasis after serving in Saudi Arabia in 1991.
Because of that, the three-judge panel said, the VA cannot be held liable for failing to warn that the disease might spread to Brown’s family. Its decision affirmed a 2008 ruling by a federal judge in Detroit.
The court “just continues the pervasive and ongoing effort of the Department of Veterans Affairs to ignore those who have been injured in the first Gulf War,” said the family’s attorney, Robert Walsh.
read more here
Judge backs VA in Desert Storm vets suit
Thursday, October 15, 2009
189 Million Powerball ticket, pocket change for Orlando Doc
Just kidding because it seemed really funny he carried the ticket in his wallet for a few days before he even checked it, then found out how his life may end up changing.
Orlando doctor claims $189 million Powerball prize
The Florida Lottery announced dermatologist William A. Steele won a $189 million Powerball jackpot
Gary Taylor, Andrew Carter and Walter Pacheco
Sentinel Staff Writers
1:46 p.m. EDT, October 15, 2009
TALLAHASSEE - An Orlando physician who carried a $189 million winning Powerball ticket around in his wallet for days before having a friend check the numbers claimed the prize in Tallahassee early this afternoon.
Dr. William A. Steele elected to walk away with a lump-sum payment of just more than $101 million.
The winnings make Steele the largest-single lottery winner in Florida history.
Steele arrived at a Lottery office with his wife of three years, Frances Summers-Steele, and a friend he identified only a "Maynard." He described his wife as an "inspirational writer and speaker" and said she is working on a book. "We call her Frankie," he said.
"We're still in shock," said Steele, 56.
Much of the money, he said, would go to charity. He said he plans to continue his practice "if the public will let me."
read more here
Orlando doctor claims $189 million Powerball prize
Sweat lodge deaths investigated as homicides
Sweat lodge deaths investigated as homicides
Story Highlights
2 die, 19 injured in sweat lodge at Arizona retreat
Self-help author James Arthur Ray sponsored the program
"We believe there are indications that it was not accidental," police say
Ray says he's hired private investigators to determine what happened
(CNN) -- An investigation into the deaths of two people who spent up to two hours inside a "sweat lodge" at an Arizona retreat last week has been elevated from an accidental death investigation to a homicide inquiry, Yavapai County Sheriff Steve Waugh told reporters Thursday.
Authorities said James Shore, 40, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Kirby Brown, 38, of Westtown, New York, died Friday at the Angel Valley Resort after spending up to two hours in the sauna-like sweat lodge. Nineteen others were treated for injuries. One person remained hospitalized Thursday in critical condition, Waugh said.
The dead and injured were attending a program by self-help author James Arthur Ray, authorities said.
A search warrant was executed Wednesday at the James Ray International offices in Carlsbad, California, the sheriff said. Authorities were attempting to determine whether documents exist on how to construct sweat lodges and on their proper use, as well as documents showing whether participants were advised of the risks of sweat lodges either before or during the program. They also were searching for rosters from past events, Waugh said.
read more here
Sweat lodge deaths investigated as homicides
Story Highlights
2 die, 19 injured in sweat lodge at Arizona retreat
Self-help author James Arthur Ray sponsored the program
"We believe there are indications that it was not accidental," police say
Ray says he's hired private investigators to determine what happened
(CNN) -- An investigation into the deaths of two people who spent up to two hours inside a "sweat lodge" at an Arizona retreat last week has been elevated from an accidental death investigation to a homicide inquiry, Yavapai County Sheriff Steve Waugh told reporters Thursday.
Authorities said James Shore, 40, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Kirby Brown, 38, of Westtown, New York, died Friday at the Angel Valley Resort after spending up to two hours in the sauna-like sweat lodge. Nineteen others were treated for injuries. One person remained hospitalized Thursday in critical condition, Waugh said.
The dead and injured were attending a program by self-help author James Arthur Ray, authorities said.
A search warrant was executed Wednesday at the James Ray International offices in Carlsbad, California, the sheriff said. Authorities were attempting to determine whether documents exist on how to construct sweat lodges and on their proper use, as well as documents showing whether participants were advised of the risks of sweat lodges either before or during the program. They also were searching for rosters from past events, Waugh said.
read more here
Sweat lodge deaths investigated as homicides
Bill addresses war-zone environmental hazards
Bill addresses war-zone environmental hazards
By Kelly Kennedy - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Oct 15, 2009 17:05:48 EDT
Legislation has been introduced that would offer long-term care to any veterans exposed to environmental hazards in the line of duty, even if there is no textbook evidence to link the exposure to an illness.
The bill, sponsored by Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., would amend Title 38 of the U.S. Code, which deals with veterans benefits, by adding a passage stating that a veteran exposed in the line of duty to “an occupational and environmental health chemical hazard of particular concern” is eligible for hospital care, medical services and nursing home care for any disability, even if there is “insufficient medical evidence to conclude that such disability may be associated with exposure.”
The bill comes in the wake of a series of hearings about troops being exposed to carcinogenic material at Qarmat Ali water treatment plant in Iraq; a sulfur fire in Mosul, Iraq; and burn-pit smoke throughout Iraq and Afghanistan.
read more here
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/10/military_burnpits_longtermcare_101509w/
By Kelly Kennedy - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Oct 15, 2009 17:05:48 EDT
Legislation has been introduced that would offer long-term care to any veterans exposed to environmental hazards in the line of duty, even if there is no textbook evidence to link the exposure to an illness.
The bill, sponsored by Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., would amend Title 38 of the U.S. Code, which deals with veterans benefits, by adding a passage stating that a veteran exposed in the line of duty to “an occupational and environmental health chemical hazard of particular concern” is eligible for hospital care, medical services and nursing home care for any disability, even if there is “insufficient medical evidence to conclude that such disability may be associated with exposure.”
The bill comes in the wake of a series of hearings about troops being exposed to carcinogenic material at Qarmat Ali water treatment plant in Iraq; a sulfur fire in Mosul, Iraq; and burn-pit smoke throughout Iraq and Afghanistan.
read more here
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/10/military_burnpits_longtermcare_101509w/
Wounded Soldiers Return to Iraq, Seeking Solace
Joao Silva for The New York Times
Eight veterans of the war in Iraq returned this week under a program called Operation Proper Exit, intended to help them heal.
Wounded Soldiers Return to Iraq, Seeking Solace
By ROD NORDLAND
Published: October 14, 2009
FORWARD OPERATING BASE NORMANDY, Iraq — Soldiers have often returned to old battlefields, to honor fallen comrades and to exorcise persistent demons. British soldiers go back to the Falklands. Normandy cemeteries are on many V.F.W. and American Legion itineraries. Vietnam veterans can even get package tours now to the places where they were stationed.
Now, Americans wounded in the Iraq war are being ferried back to the scenes where they were maimed to help achieve psychological closure, the first time such visits have been tried while a war is still in progress.
The seven-day program, called Operation Proper Exit, has been kept quiet previously, partly because returning to a combat zone is considered a delicate experiment. For the eight wounded men who returned to Iraq this week, including five amputees and one blinded soldier, the hope is that returning to places many of them left while unconscious or in agony might reassure them that their losses have been worth it.
go here for more
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/15/world/middleeast/15exit.html?_r=1
How many more veterans will die between now and then?
How quick were the troops sent into Afghanistan? Let's see if memory serves me correctly, we were attacked on September 11th and by the following month, the troops were already in Afghanistan. Seems to me that since the government wanted it done, it got done right away. Just as with all wars, as soon as they leaders of this nation say "go" they "go" and they can't say, gee wait until it's a better time. So how is it the government can get away with it?
2012? 2013? The troops were sent in 2001 and since we had the statistics from Vietnam, it looks like there should have been something in place all these years instead of excuses for why there was nothing done. So where is plan B? Where is what they need to get them by between now and the day all of these hospitals are finally built? What are they supposed to do between now and then? The bigger question is, how many more will die between now and then, end up homeless and see their families fall apart? What are they supposed to do when they needed help years ago? Wait longer?
2012? 2013? The troops were sent in 2001 and since we had the statistics from Vietnam, it looks like there should have been something in place all these years instead of excuses for why there was nothing done. So where is plan B? Where is what they need to get them by between now and the day all of these hospitals are finally built? What are they supposed to do between now and then? The bigger question is, how many more will die between now and then, end up homeless and see their families fall apart? What are they supposed to do when they needed help years ago? Wait longer?
$800 Million VA Hospital Doesn't Include Money For PTSD
Congressman Calls Decision Negligent
By Lance Hernandez, 7NEWS Reporter
DENVER -- When officials broke ground on the new $800 million VA Medical Center, many veterans assumed that a residential treatment center for those suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder would be built in the new hospital.
But several were surprised to learn this month that the hefty price tag does not include the PTSD treatment center.
“This is beyond comprehension,” said Rep. Mike Coffman, who is himself a veteran of the gulf war and of the war in Iraq.
VA officials told 7NEWS that “major construction funds” can’t be spent on the residential treatment facility, but that the facility will be built.
“The PTSD residential program is a crown jewel of VA in eastern Colorado,” said Lynette Roff, director of the VA’s eastern Colorado health care system. “We are very committed to making sure it is included in our new facility and that it continues to grow.”
Roff said the VA has applied for separate funds for a stand alone facility which will be constructed just to the north of the new hospital.
go here for more
http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/21301540/detail.html
Can President Obama save Katrina's kids?
Katrina’s Kids
President Obama is visiting New Orleans for only one day. His potential impact on the city's children, however, could last much longer.
By Mary Carmichael
Newsweek Web Exclusive
Oct 15, 2009
On Thursday, President Barack Obama was scheduled to visit a New Orleans school that was wracked by Hurricane Katrina and reopened only after residents of the Ninth Ward put in a lot of work. By day's end, he planned to leave. Critics and local officials have been quick to slam Obama for making such a brief visit. But the president doesn't need to be on the ground in New Orleans for long. "He's going there to make a statement, and he doesn't need more than a day to make it," says Irwin Redlener, president of the nonprofit Children's Health Fund and commissioner of the National Commission on Children and Disasters, a bipartisan panel appointed by the president and congressional leaders.
The more important statement Obama will make won't come in the form of a speech, and it won't be made on Thursday. It will consist of what his administration actually does over the next three years for the Gulf Coast's population, especially its children, who are still suffering mightily. "Kids get a lot of lip service in disaster planning, but they tend to get far fewer resources than they need," says Redlener. "The mantra of 'children are our most valuable resource' is almost never matched by actual funding."
Certainly, that's been the case in the gulf since Katrina. After years of bureaucratic haggling, recovery efforts are starting to get some momentum and some cash—Obama's administration has allocated more than $1 billion in aid for Louisiana alone. But "thousands of families have been falling through the cracks because it's been such a disorganized and disrupted safety net," says Redlener, who briefed the president's recovery team at the White House on Tuesday. "There's just too many of them in the gulf now who are still waiting for something to happen."
read more here
http://www.newsweek.com/id/217751
President Obama is visiting New Orleans for only one day. His potential impact on the city's children, however, could last much longer.
By Mary Carmichael
Newsweek Web Exclusive
Oct 15, 2009
On Thursday, President Barack Obama was scheduled to visit a New Orleans school that was wracked by Hurricane Katrina and reopened only after residents of the Ninth Ward put in a lot of work. By day's end, he planned to leave. Critics and local officials have been quick to slam Obama for making such a brief visit. But the president doesn't need to be on the ground in New Orleans for long. "He's going there to make a statement, and he doesn't need more than a day to make it," says Irwin Redlener, president of the nonprofit Children's Health Fund and commissioner of the National Commission on Children and Disasters, a bipartisan panel appointed by the president and congressional leaders.
The more important statement Obama will make won't come in the form of a speech, and it won't be made on Thursday. It will consist of what his administration actually does over the next three years for the Gulf Coast's population, especially its children, who are still suffering mightily. "Kids get a lot of lip service in disaster planning, but they tend to get far fewer resources than they need," says Redlener. "The mantra of 'children are our most valuable resource' is almost never matched by actual funding."
Certainly, that's been the case in the gulf since Katrina. After years of bureaucratic haggling, recovery efforts are starting to get some momentum and some cash—Obama's administration has allocated more than $1 billion in aid for Louisiana alone. But "thousands of families have been falling through the cracks because it's been such a disorganized and disrupted safety net," says Redlener, who briefed the president's recovery team at the White House on Tuesday. "There's just too many of them in the gulf now who are still waiting for something to happen."
read more here
http://www.newsweek.com/id/217751
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
VA advance funding bill clears Congress
VA advance funding bill clears Congress
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Oct 14, 2009 10:36:35 EDT
Historic legislation aimed at preventing Congress’ inability to get its work done on time from hurting veterans’ medical care is on its way to the White House for President Barack Obama’s expected signature after clearing Congress on Tuesday night.
Passage of the bill by the Senate came on the 13th day of the new fiscal year, in which lawmakers have made a case for financial safeguards by passing only one of the 13 separate appropriations measures needed to keep the federal government running. The only appropriations bill approved so far is the one that provides funding for Congress itself.
Delays in passing the Veterans Affairs Department budget are nothing new; this is the 20th time in the last 23 years that the VA budget has not been approved by the start of the fiscal year. Failure to act on time, which can be disruptive to medical budgets, led every major veterans organization to make the advance funding bill their top legislative priority for the year.
read more here
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/10/military_VA_advancefunding_101409w/
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Oct 14, 2009 10:36:35 EDT
Historic legislation aimed at preventing Congress’ inability to get its work done on time from hurting veterans’ medical care is on its way to the White House for President Barack Obama’s expected signature after clearing Congress on Tuesday night.
Passage of the bill by the Senate came on the 13th day of the new fiscal year, in which lawmakers have made a case for financial safeguards by passing only one of the 13 separate appropriations measures needed to keep the federal government running. The only appropriations bill approved so far is the one that provides funding for Congress itself.
Delays in passing the Veterans Affairs Department budget are nothing new; this is the 20th time in the last 23 years that the VA budget has not been approved by the start of the fiscal year. Failure to act on time, which can be disruptive to medical budgets, led every major veterans organization to make the advance funding bill their top legislative priority for the year.
read more here
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/10/military_VA_advancefunding_101409w/
Fake Warrior and the Wall That Heals update
I am sure he is hurting right now, maybe has his pride hurt, maybe even thinking that all his work for the Vietnam veterans, he pretended to belong to, was all wasted but what I doubt he sees is the damage he's done to people who trusted him. They think when people do things for them, they really care about them, not interested in using them, but when someone has to lie about who they are/what they are, it proves they don't have the slightest clue what a real Vietnam Veteran is.
http://www.veteranstoday.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=8935
A Fake Warrior and the Wall That Heals, the UPDATE!
Posted on October 13, 2009 by stimeling
By Larry Stimeling, Staff Writer
Here is an update on last month's story about James Richard Lyons, the driver of the truck that carries the Wall That Heals from one location to another.
James, as you may recall, has claimed to be a gunny in the Marines who enlisted in the Navy and served 4 tours in Vietnam from 64 to 68 even though he was in high school in 66. Here, as Paul Harvey would say is the rest of the story.
James Richard Lyons no longer works for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund.
After the story ran on VeterasToday.com "A Fake Warrior and the Wall that Heals" James was relieved of duty and Cary Dees replaced him.
read more here
http://www.veteranstoday.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=8935
Man arrested with gun at VA hospital after threat
Man arrested with gun at VA hospital after threat
Associated Press
7:14 a.m. CDT, October 14, 2009
MARION, Ill. - Federal authorities say a man who threatened a shooting rampage at a Veterans Affairs hospital in southern Illinois was later arrested when police found him with a loaded handgun in his vehicle outside the site.
read more here
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-il-vahospital-threat,0,4577426.story
Associated Press
7:14 a.m. CDT, October 14, 2009
MARION, Ill. - Federal authorities say a man who threatened a shooting rampage at a Veterans Affairs hospital in southern Illinois was later arrested when police found him with a loaded handgun in his vehicle outside the site.
read more here
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-il-vahospital-threat,0,4577426.story
More Vietnam vets seeking PTSD help
More Vietnam vets seeking PTSD help
By Richard Robbins
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Forty-three years ago, Marine Corps infantryman Marcus Merwin was three weeks shy of escaping Vietnam unscathed.
On Sept. 13, 1966, Merwin was with a small ground patrol near Da Nang when the sergeant in charge spotted a narrow opening through jungle brush. Merwin was through the opening when a "bouncing betty" land mine planted by the Viet Cong exploded and killed the two Marines behind him.
One of the dead was a newcomer to the unit. After only three days in Vietnam, Jason Bruce of Boston, was sliced in half by the explosion. Charles Lenartowicz of Philadelphia was riddled with shrapnel. Both men died instantly.
Merwin, a military radio strapped to his back, called for an evacuation helicopter. It was then he noticed blood dripping from his arm. Treated at a field hospital for a minor wound, Merwin was quickly released back to duty. He lifted off from Vietnam for good on Oct. 2, 1966.
He escaped death but not a lifetime of guilt. For more than four decades, Merwin said, he was a victim of post-traumatic stress disorder, a diagnosis that was not officially adopted by the American Psychological Association until 1980. Before then, PTSD symptoms went by other names, including "shell shock."
For years, the Monroeville man said, he led a "double life," working for the Postal Service while struggling to suppress the dark memories of Vietnam.
It was a life lived in the shadow of war. It remained that way until a new conflict-- in Iraq -- pushed Merwin into treatment.
He's not alone. The number of Vietnam vets receiving PTSD treatment more than doubled between 1997 and 2005, swelling from 91,043 to 189,309, according to the latest figures available from the government.
The "sharp recent growth" in PTSD treatment among Vietnam veterans is "puzzling" to Robert A. Rosenheck and Alan F. Fontana of the VA New England Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center.
read more here
More Vietnam vets seeking PTSD help
By Richard Robbins
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Forty-three years ago, Marine Corps infantryman Marcus Merwin was three weeks shy of escaping Vietnam unscathed.
On Sept. 13, 1966, Merwin was with a small ground patrol near Da Nang when the sergeant in charge spotted a narrow opening through jungle brush. Merwin was through the opening when a "bouncing betty" land mine planted by the Viet Cong exploded and killed the two Marines behind him.
One of the dead was a newcomer to the unit. After only three days in Vietnam, Jason Bruce of Boston, was sliced in half by the explosion. Charles Lenartowicz of Philadelphia was riddled with shrapnel. Both men died instantly.
Merwin, a military radio strapped to his back, called for an evacuation helicopter. It was then he noticed blood dripping from his arm. Treated at a field hospital for a minor wound, Merwin was quickly released back to duty. He lifted off from Vietnam for good on Oct. 2, 1966.
He escaped death but not a lifetime of guilt. For more than four decades, Merwin said, he was a victim of post-traumatic stress disorder, a diagnosis that was not officially adopted by the American Psychological Association until 1980. Before then, PTSD symptoms went by other names, including "shell shock."
For years, the Monroeville man said, he led a "double life," working for the Postal Service while struggling to suppress the dark memories of Vietnam.
It was a life lived in the shadow of war. It remained that way until a new conflict-- in Iraq -- pushed Merwin into treatment.
He's not alone. The number of Vietnam vets receiving PTSD treatment more than doubled between 1997 and 2005, swelling from 91,043 to 189,309, according to the latest figures available from the government.
The "sharp recent growth" in PTSD treatment among Vietnam veterans is "puzzling" to Robert A. Rosenheck and Alan F. Fontana of the VA New England Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center.
read more here
More Vietnam vets seeking PTSD help
Minnesota National Guardsman in Iraq noncombat incident was shot
Army via AP Maj. Tad T. Hervas, 48, died Oct. 6 in Basra, Iraq.
Guardsman in Iraq noncombat incident was shot
By Steve Karnowski - The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Oct 14, 2009 7:02:44 EDT
MINNEAPOLIS — A Minnesota National Guard soldier who died of noncombat injuries in Iraq last week was found with a gunshot wound to the head, the military said Tuesday in a statement that did little to clear up the mystery surrounding his death.
Maj. Tad Hervas, 48, of Coon Rapids, died Oct. 6 at a base in Basra, where he was serving with the 34th Infantry Division, known as the Red Bulls.
In its statement Tuesday evening, the division provided few other details on the circumstances of his death.
“An investigation is being conducted by the Army’s Criminal Investigation Command on the cause of death,” the statement said. “A thorough investigation — which will include forensics, weapons testing, and an analysis of circumstances prior to his death — will determine a conclusion after all factors have been considered.”
read more here
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/10/ap_hervas_death_iraq_101409/
Pain so deep you want to die
Suicide of National Guardsman was posted this morning on Wounded Times. If you look back over the last two years, there have been many more suicides of Guardsmen and regular military. None of them had to happen.
If you read my book For the Love of Jack, (link on the sidebar) you'll find the part after our daughter was born. I was in the hospital with an infection that took over my body and almost died. The truth was, I had gotten to such a dark place I wanted to die. My family said it was just the fever making me feel that way, but I knew what I was carrying was much deeper than that. I feared losing God. I thought that my emotional pain would become so great that I would end up blaming God instead of running to Him. I was losing hope of my life getting better.
Our daughter was 8 months old but I was in the hospital praying to die. I thought about her and how much I loved her and that's when I decided to fight to get well. There were times in my life before that day and times after, but never as deeply imbedded in darkness.
If you think there is no hope left of tomorrow being any better, or fear it being worse, then what reason do you have to get up in the morning? Hope is what keeps us all alive if we are honest. Some say it's love, but feeling loved when PTSD has taken away almost every good feeling, does not cut it. You not only have a hard time feeling love for someone but added onto that is the sense you no longer deserve to be loved.
Hope has to be restored before there can be healing. In my case, it was my husband's PTSD that consumed me, love caused me to fight. Fight for him and our daughter. It was hope that had finally found it's way into his mind that caused him to fight to heal himself.
There was pain that deep in my family but we survived. We've been married 25 years now. While PTSD is still in this house, it no longer rules our house. Love does. Hope does. Faith does.
We need to make sure that we give hope back to every veteran and survivor of trauma that better days are ahead of them and not behind them. They can come out stronger on the other side.
If you read my book For the Love of Jack, (link on the sidebar) you'll find the part after our daughter was born. I was in the hospital with an infection that took over my body and almost died. The truth was, I had gotten to such a dark place I wanted to die. My family said it was just the fever making me feel that way, but I knew what I was carrying was much deeper than that. I feared losing God. I thought that my emotional pain would become so great that I would end up blaming God instead of running to Him. I was losing hope of my life getting better.
Our daughter was 8 months old but I was in the hospital praying to die. I thought about her and how much I loved her and that's when I decided to fight to get well. There were times in my life before that day and times after, but never as deeply imbedded in darkness.
If you think there is no hope left of tomorrow being any better, or fear it being worse, then what reason do you have to get up in the morning? Hope is what keeps us all alive if we are honest. Some say it's love, but feeling loved when PTSD has taken away almost every good feeling, does not cut it. You not only have a hard time feeling love for someone but added onto that is the sense you no longer deserve to be loved.
Hope has to be restored before there can be healing. In my case, it was my husband's PTSD that consumed me, love caused me to fight. Fight for him and our daughter. It was hope that had finally found it's way into his mind that caused him to fight to heal himself.
There was pain that deep in my family but we survived. We've been married 25 years now. While PTSD is still in this house, it no longer rules our house. Love does. Hope does. Faith does.
We need to make sure that we give hope back to every veteran and survivor of trauma that better days are ahead of them and not behind them. They can come out stronger on the other side.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Guardsmen’s PTSD issues are raised for health caregivers
NASHUA – On the eve of the largest deployment ever of New Hampshire National Guard personnel, the city hosted a conference to train mental illness caregivers on how to identify issues the guardsmen may face when they return home: Post traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury.
One of the biggest obstacles, professionals say, is getting veterans to admit they need help.
“Stigma is not something that happens to people in uniform. Stigma is a norm in American society,” said Dr. Matthew Friedman, a national expert on PTSD and one of the speakers at the conference Tuesday at Nashua Country Club.
People will go on talk shows to discuss their heart attacks but shy away from talking about depression, said Friedman, executive director of the National Center for PTSD at the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.
That’s particularly true for veterans who equate acknowledging stress to acknowledging weakness, Friedman told a roomful of therapists, case managers, counselors and nurse practitioners.
read more here
Guardsmens PTSD issues are raised for health caregivers
VA to ease way for vets to get stress disability
VA to ease way for vets to get stress disability
By KIMBERLY HEFLING (AP) – 3 hours ago
WASHINGTON — Female soldiers and others in dangerous roles that once were behind front lines in Iraq and Afghanistan have long complained about how hard it is to prove their combat experience when applying for disability due to post-traumatic stress disorder.
That could soon change.
The Veterans Affairs Department has proposed reducing the paperwork required for veterans to show their experience caused combat-related stress. Even just the fear of hostile action would be sufficient, as long as a VA psychologist or psychiatrist agreed.
The VA says the change would streamline claims and recognize the "inherently stressful nature" of war service. The agency is accepting comment until Oct. 23.
Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., called it a significant shift in policy.
"Before, and for a long time, I've been fighting many times over for the VA not to discourage people from saying they have PTSD," said Murray, who serves on the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee. "We've have many cases where veterans were told it's all in your head."
read more here
VA to ease way for vets to get stress disability
By KIMBERLY HEFLING (AP) – 3 hours ago
WASHINGTON — Female soldiers and others in dangerous roles that once were behind front lines in Iraq and Afghanistan have long complained about how hard it is to prove their combat experience when applying for disability due to post-traumatic stress disorder.
That could soon change.
The Veterans Affairs Department has proposed reducing the paperwork required for veterans to show their experience caused combat-related stress. Even just the fear of hostile action would be sufficient, as long as a VA psychologist or psychiatrist agreed.
The VA says the change would streamline claims and recognize the "inherently stressful nature" of war service. The agency is accepting comment until Oct. 23.
Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., called it a significant shift in policy.
"Before, and for a long time, I've been fighting many times over for the VA not to discourage people from saying they have PTSD," said Murray, who serves on the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee. "We've have many cases where veterans were told it's all in your head."
read more here
VA to ease way for vets to get stress disability
Indiana National Guardsman committed suicide at movie theater
Spc. Jacob Sexton died because of war and because the military didn't make sure they were prepared to return home.
Guardsman home from war kills self in Ind. theater
Associated Press
7:12 p.m. CDT, October 13, 2009
MUNCIE, Ind. - The father of an Indiana National Guardsman who fatally shot himself inside a movie theater said Tuesday that the families of service members returning home from war need to closely watch them for signs of stress.
Spc. Jacob Sexton, 21, showed no signs of being suicidal before shooting himself in the head, the guardsman's father, Jeffrey Sexton of Farmland, said.
"We just need to watch these boys and the girls coming back home. Something's just not right. Too much is happening," Jeffrey Sexton told The Associated Press in a telephone interview.
Muncie police said Jacob Sexton had argued with theater employees on Monday night over having to show identification to see the R-rated horror comedy "Zombieland." Twenty minutes into the film, a friend handed Sexton a 9 mm handgun, at the guardsman's request, and he then shot himself in the head, police said.
read more here
Guardsman home from war kills self in Ind
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Troops stationed at Qarmat Ali to be tested for chemical contamination
Iraq vets at treatment plant asked to get exam
By KIMBERLY HEFLING
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Six years after nearly 1,200 U.S. soldiers in Iraq were potentially exposed to a sometimes deadly chemical linked to cancer, the military and Veterans Affairs Department have been tracking them down and asking them to get a medical exam.
The troops were protecting or in the area of workers hired by a subsidiary of the contractor, KBR Inc., based in Houston, to rebuild the Iraqi water treatment plant Qarmat Ali near Basra, Iraq. The chemical was sodium dichromate, and it had contaminated the area.
In June, The Associated Press chronicled the health problems of the soldiers who had served at the site. Sickness with symptoms ranging from chest pain to lung disease and even death among troops who served there have been blamed on exposure at the site.
read more here
Iraq vets at treatment plant asked to get exam
linked fromhttp://www.icasualties.org/Iraq/index.aspx
By KIMBERLY HEFLING
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Six years after nearly 1,200 U.S. soldiers in Iraq were potentially exposed to a sometimes deadly chemical linked to cancer, the military and Veterans Affairs Department have been tracking them down and asking them to get a medical exam.
The troops were protecting or in the area of workers hired by a subsidiary of the contractor, KBR Inc., based in Houston, to rebuild the Iraqi water treatment plant Qarmat Ali near Basra, Iraq. The chemical was sodium dichromate, and it had contaminated the area.
In June, The Associated Press chronicled the health problems of the soldiers who had served at the site. Sickness with symptoms ranging from chest pain to lung disease and even death among troops who served there have been blamed on exposure at the site.
read more here
Iraq vets at treatment plant asked to get exam
linked fromhttp://www.icasualties.org/Iraq/index.aspx
Juveniles laugh after setting teen on fire
Police: Juveniles laugh after setting teen on fire
Five juveniles are in custody after 15-year-old Michael Brewer was intentionally set on fire at a Florida apartment complex, police said. Brewer apparently owed one of the suspects $40 for a video game, police said, and he reported the suspect for allegedly stealing his father's bicycle. "They deliberately sought him out, poured alcohol on him and set him on fire," Broward County's sheriff said. full story
Five juveniles are in custody after 15-year-old Michael Brewer was intentionally set on fire at a Florida apartment complex, police said. Brewer apparently owed one of the suspects $40 for a video game, police said, and he reported the suspect for allegedly stealing his father's bicycle. "They deliberately sought him out, poured alcohol on him and set him on fire," Broward County's sheriff said. full story
Family electrocuted putting up ham raido antenna
Palm Bay electrocution victims identified
Police said the Palm Bay family was electrocuted when a ham radio antenna struck a live power line
Sarah Lundy and Gary Taylor
Sentinel Staff Writers
10:55 a.m. EDT, October 13, 2009
A Palm Bay couple and their 15-year-old son died Monday night when they were electrocuted while putting up a ham radio antenna, police said.
Yvonne Martinez, a spokeswoman for the Palm Bay Police Department, identified the victims as Melville Braham, 55, Ana Braham, 49, and their son Anthony. They lived elsewhere in the city, Martinez said.
Rescue crews responded to a 911 call about the electrocution shortly after 8:30 p.m. on Alaska Avenue, west of Interstate 95 in south Brevard County.
Authorities say the family was attempting to raise the antenna when they lost control of the pole and it struck an overhead power line.
The impact sent 13,000 volts of electricity through the pole the three were holding, Martinez said.
read more here
Palm Bay electrocution victims identified
Police said the Palm Bay family was electrocuted when a ham radio antenna struck a live power line
Sarah Lundy and Gary Taylor
Sentinel Staff Writers
10:55 a.m. EDT, October 13, 2009
A Palm Bay couple and their 15-year-old son died Monday night when they were electrocuted while putting up a ham radio antenna, police said.
Yvonne Martinez, a spokeswoman for the Palm Bay Police Department, identified the victims as Melville Braham, 55, Ana Braham, 49, and their son Anthony. They lived elsewhere in the city, Martinez said.
Rescue crews responded to a 911 call about the electrocution shortly after 8:30 p.m. on Alaska Avenue, west of Interstate 95 in south Brevard County.
Authorities say the family was attempting to raise the antenna when they lost control of the pole and it struck an overhead power line.
The impact sent 13,000 volts of electricity through the pole the three were holding, Martinez said.
read more here
Palm Bay electrocution victims identified
Rev. Emil Kapaun Fallen Korean War chaplain considered for Medal of Honor
Fallen Korean War chaplain considered for MoH
The Assonated Press
Posted : Tuesday Oct 13, 2009 6:01:45 EDT
TOPEKA, Kan. — A Kansas priest already under consideration for sainthood has won the endorsement of the Army’s top civilian leader to receive the Medal of Honor.
The Rev. Emil Kapaun was a captain and chaplain in the Army in Korea and taken prisoner in 1950 when his unit was overrun by Chinese soldiers. Kapaun continued to serve the men’s needs, including risking his own life to provide them with food and water amid squalid conditions.
Kapaun, a Roman Catholic, died in a prison camp in 1951.
In one of his final acts as Army secretary, Pete Geren wrote a letter to Rep. Todd Tiahrt of Goddard saying he agreed that Kapaun should be awarded the Medal of Honor.
Kapaun is also being investigated by the Vatican for sainthood.
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/10/ap_moh_chaplain_kapaun_101309/
SHEPHERD IN COMBAT BOOTS
Updated 4/20/2005
On April 3, Veterans Radio (WAAM - Ann Arbor, Michigan - www.veteransradio.net) presented the second in a continuing series of talk radio shows covering the Korean War.
The subject was Father Emil Kapaun, chaplain of the 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, in Korea in 1950.
Father Kapaun was captured in Unsan County, North Korea, on November 2, 1950 and died on May 23, 1951, in Camp #5 on the Yalu River.
Featured on the program was the Reverend John Hotze of the Archdiocese of Wichita, Kansas, Father Kapaun's diocese before he became a military chaplain.
Rev. Hotze presented background information about the pending nomination of Fr. Kapaun for sainthood in the Roman Catholic Church.
The nomination is largely based on Fr. Kapaun's heroic actions on behalf of his fellow prisoners while in captivity.
According to testimony of those who knew him, Fr. Kapaun went all out for God and his fellow POW and forgot himself completely.
http://www.kwva.org/pow_mia/p_050420_shepherd_combat_boots.htm
The Assonated Press
Posted : Tuesday Oct 13, 2009 6:01:45 EDT
TOPEKA, Kan. — A Kansas priest already under consideration for sainthood has won the endorsement of the Army’s top civilian leader to receive the Medal of Honor.
The Rev. Emil Kapaun was a captain and chaplain in the Army in Korea and taken prisoner in 1950 when his unit was overrun by Chinese soldiers. Kapaun continued to serve the men’s needs, including risking his own life to provide them with food and water amid squalid conditions.
Kapaun, a Roman Catholic, died in a prison camp in 1951.
In one of his final acts as Army secretary, Pete Geren wrote a letter to Rep. Todd Tiahrt of Goddard saying he agreed that Kapaun should be awarded the Medal of Honor.
Kapaun is also being investigated by the Vatican for sainthood.
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/10/ap_moh_chaplain_kapaun_101309/
SHEPHERD IN COMBAT BOOTS
Updated 4/20/2005
On April 3, Veterans Radio (WAAM - Ann Arbor, Michigan - www.veteransradio.net) presented the second in a continuing series of talk radio shows covering the Korean War.
The subject was Father Emil Kapaun, chaplain of the 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, in Korea in 1950.
Father Kapaun was captured in Unsan County, North Korea, on November 2, 1950 and died on May 23, 1951, in Camp #5 on the Yalu River.
Featured on the program was the Reverend John Hotze of the Archdiocese of Wichita, Kansas, Father Kapaun's diocese before he became a military chaplain.
Rev. Hotze presented background information about the pending nomination of Fr. Kapaun for sainthood in the Roman Catholic Church.
The nomination is largely based on Fr. Kapaun's heroic actions on behalf of his fellow prisoners while in captivity.
According to testimony of those who knew him, Fr. Kapaun went all out for God and his fellow POW and forgot himself completely.
http://www.kwva.org/pow_mia/p_050420_shepherd_combat_boots.htm
Supporting the troops means taking care of veterans too
While Taylor Texas can put out something like this,,,,,,
it also looks like they do not take it to heart when it comes to taking care of veterans as well.
Not wanted in an American neighborhood? Really? This must mean as long as they are risking their lives some place else, they are welcome, but when they dare to come home needing help, they are no longer welcome. This is a town in dire need of an education on what war does and what kind of people the troops are. They risked their lives for the same people that do not want them in their neighborhoods!
Adopt A Unit at Fort Hood Project
The City of Taylor and the City of Hutto adopted the 4th Infantry Division's Combat Aviation Brigade Battalion 1/4 Avn at Fort Hood. These two cities agreed to support the Central Texas Fort Hood Chapter Association of the United States Army (AUSA) and it's "Adopt a Unit" Program during their deployment to Iran in 2008/2009.The troops returned home from their most recent deployment to Iran in June, 2009 and were welcomed home with a special event sponsored by both cities at the Old Settlers Association facility in Round Rock on June 27. For more information on the program contact Jean Johnson at 352-5448 or the Taylor Chamber of Commerce at 365-8485.
Visit the website at http://www.forthoodausa.org/ for additional details on these programs and how you can adopt a unit of your own.
Letter from Lt. Col. Brian Bennett, July 15, 2008.
Letter of appreciation from Major General Hammond, July, 2009.
Contact Information
Taylor Chamber of Commerce
1519 N. Main StreetTaylor, TX 76574
512-365-8485
it also looks like they do not take it to heart when it comes to taking care of veterans as well.
Veterans for Common Sense Fights Discrimination Against Veterans in Taylor Texas
Written by Claire Osborn
Saturday, 10 October 2009 22:35
Taylor residents oppose proposed veterans center in their neighborhood
October 11, 2009, Taylor, Texas (Austin American-Statesman) — A California company wants to convert an empty facility formerly used as nursing home into a trauma assistance center for as many as 88 female veterans, including those who have been sexually assaulted by fellow soldiers.
But some Taylor residents say they don't want the facility in their town.
"It would put veterans in a situation where they are going to a town that doesn't want them," said Cherri Wolbrueck, co-owner of a Taylor bookstore. She talked about her opposition after attending a zoning board meeting where representatives of the company — Center Point Inc., based in San Rafael, Calif. — spoke.
Wolbrueck lives across the street from the proposed facility where veterans would live. She said she fears that veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder might attack residents in the Buttermilk Hill neighborhood.
"They can have an episode where a flashback transports them back into a combat situation, and they can perceive anyone as a threat: an elderly person taking a walk around the neighborhood, or a child on a bike," she said.
Laura Lambe, the executive vice president of Texas Center Point Inc., which would operate the facility and is a subsidiary of the California company, said the veterans who would be served at the facility would not be a danger to the community.
"We are not dealing with people who are threatening," Lambe said.
"We have a moral obligation to help veterans," said Paul Sullivan, executive director of Veterans for Common Sense, an advocacy group based in Washington. "Veterans are the kind of neighbors we want, and it's safe to be around them."
click link for more
Not wanted in an American neighborhood? Really? This must mean as long as they are risking their lives some place else, they are welcome, but when they dare to come home needing help, they are no longer welcome. This is a town in dire need of an education on what war does and what kind of people the troops are. They risked their lives for the same people that do not want them in their neighborhoods!
VA Extends "Agent Orange" Benefits to More Veterans
VA Extends "Agent Orange" Benefits to More Veterans
Parkinson's Disease, Two Other Illnesses Recognized
WASHINGTON (Oct. 13, 2009) - Relying on an independent study by the
Institute of Medicine (IOM), Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K.
Shinseki decided to establish a service-connection for Vietnam Veterans
with three specific illnesses based on the latest evidence of an
association with the herbicides referred to Agent Orange.
The illnesses affected by the recent decision are B cell leukemias, such
as hairy cell leukemia; Parkinson's disease; and ischemic heart disease.
Used in Vietnam to defoliate trees and remove concealment for the enemy,
Agent Orange left a legacy of suffering and disability that continues to
the present. Between January 1965 and April 1970, an estimated 2.6
million military personnel who served in Vietnam were potentially
exposed to sprayed Agent Orange.
In practical terms, Veterans who served in Vietnam during the war and
who have a "presumed" illness don't have to prove an association between
their illnesses and their military service. This "presumption"
simplifies and speeds up the application process for benefits.
The Secretary's decision brings to 15 the number of presumed illnesses
recognized by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
"We must do better reviews of illnesses that may be connected to
service, and we will," Shinseki added. "Veterans who endure health
problems deserve timely decisions based on solid evidence."
Other illnesses previously recognized under VA's "presumption" rule as
being caused by exposure to herbicides during the Vietnam War are:
* Acute and Subacute Transient Peripheral Neuropathy
* AL Amyloidosis
* Chloracne
* Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
* Diabetes Mellitus (Type 2)
* Hodgkin's Disease
* Multiple Myeloma
* Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma
* Porphyria Cutanea Tarda
* Prostate Cancer
* Respiratory Cancers
* Soft Tissue Sarcoma (other than Osteosarcoma, Chondrosarcoma,
Kaposi's sarcoma, or Mesothelioma)
Additional information about Agent Orange and VA's services and programs
for Veterans exposed to the chemical are available at
www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agentorange
.
Parkinson's Disease, Two Other Illnesses Recognized
WASHINGTON (Oct. 13, 2009) - Relying on an independent study by the
Institute of Medicine (IOM), Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K.
Shinseki decided to establish a service-connection for Vietnam Veterans
with three specific illnesses based on the latest evidence of an
association with the herbicides referred to Agent Orange.
The illnesses affected by the recent decision are B cell leukemias, such
as hairy cell leukemia; Parkinson's disease; and ischemic heart disease.
Used in Vietnam to defoliate trees and remove concealment for the enemy,
Agent Orange left a legacy of suffering and disability that continues to
the present. Between January 1965 and April 1970, an estimated 2.6
million military personnel who served in Vietnam were potentially
exposed to sprayed Agent Orange.
In practical terms, Veterans who served in Vietnam during the war and
who have a "presumed" illness don't have to prove an association between
their illnesses and their military service. This "presumption"
simplifies and speeds up the application process for benefits.
The Secretary's decision brings to 15 the number of presumed illnesses
recognized by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
"We must do better reviews of illnesses that may be connected to
service, and we will," Shinseki added. "Veterans who endure health
problems deserve timely decisions based on solid evidence."
Other illnesses previously recognized under VA's "presumption" rule as
being caused by exposure to herbicides during the Vietnam War are:
* Acute and Subacute Transient Peripheral Neuropathy
* AL Amyloidosis
* Chloracne
* Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
* Diabetes Mellitus (Type 2)
* Hodgkin's Disease
* Multiple Myeloma
* Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma
* Porphyria Cutanea Tarda
* Prostate Cancer
* Respiratory Cancers
* Soft Tissue Sarcoma (other than Osteosarcoma, Chondrosarcoma,
Kaposi's sarcoma, or Mesothelioma)
Additional information about Agent Orange and VA's services and programs
for Veterans exposed to the chemical are available at
www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agentorange
Monday, October 12, 2009
Education key to overcome PTSD stigma
Not that it's done as much good as I would like, but this is what I've been trying to get across to everyone. If you know what PTSD, where it comes from and why it "picks" on one person but not another, then there is nothing to hang us up on. Stigma? No need to have one when you understand anyone trying to hang a stigma or any type of shame on you is doing it out of ignorance,
Knowledge is why I've been married for 25 years. Knowledge is why I've been able to help veterans and their families along with everyone else that has come into my life, one way or another, but the lack of knowledge has been deadly. Imagine if researchers knew what PTSD was 30 years ago but no one talked about it. Not that hard to do because that is exactly what did happen. They knew, possibly more than they know now, but no one is talking about it. Why? Because the responsibility of the government was to assure that everything was in place before troops were sent to risk their lives, but they did not do their duty. Now they are shocked, trying to figure out how all of this got so bad. The problem is, they should have known because none of this came as a shock to anyone paying attention. The only shocker was that the people who were supposed to be paying attention were not doing anything to get ahead of any of this until it was too late for too many.
Look over on the side bar and see the pamphlet the Veterans Centers were handing out in the early 80's and know, we had all the evidence in 1978 but none of it was used when it came time to plan on the new generation to go to war. Hell, they weren't even really trying to play catch up with the Vietnam veterans either. They were just ready to keep adding them on.
Knowledge is why I've been married for 25 years. Knowledge is why I've been able to help veterans and their families along with everyone else that has come into my life, one way or another, but the lack of knowledge has been deadly. Imagine if researchers knew what PTSD was 30 years ago but no one talked about it. Not that hard to do because that is exactly what did happen. They knew, possibly more than they know now, but no one is talking about it. Why? Because the responsibility of the government was to assure that everything was in place before troops were sent to risk their lives, but they did not do their duty. Now they are shocked, trying to figure out how all of this got so bad. The problem is, they should have known because none of this came as a shock to anyone paying attention. The only shocker was that the people who were supposed to be paying attention were not doing anything to get ahead of any of this until it was too late for too many.
Look over on the side bar and see the pamphlet the Veterans Centers were handing out in the early 80's and know, we had all the evidence in 1978 but none of it was used when it came time to plan on the new generation to go to war. Hell, they weren't even really trying to play catch up with the Vietnam veterans either. They were just ready to keep adding them on.
Education key to overcome PTSD stigma
Army News — By Army News Service on October 12, 2009 at 5:14 am
WASHINGTON: All Soldiers need to receive standard training about mental-health issues if the Army is to overcome the stigma of seeking treatment, according a white paper rolled out Wednesday at the Association of the U.S. Army's annual meeting.
The author of "Collateral Damage: How Can the Army Best Serve a Soldier with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder," spoke about the recommendations he made in his paper that he hopes will aid in better understanding how to treat mental-health problems for Soldiers and their families.
A 32-year veteran, Col. Rich B. O'Connor spent three years researching PTSD with three objectives in mind. First, as a squadron commander with the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment in Iraq from 2005 to 2006, he was responsible for the health and welfare of more than 1,000 Soldiers of which more than half were on their second tours. He needed to learn more about PTSD and traumatic brain injury because he had no training in what it really was.
read more here
Education key to overcome PTSD stigma
Solider found dead at Fort Riley
Soldier found dead at Fort Riley
The Associated Press
Posted : Monday Oct 12, 2009 12:11:12 EDT
CHICKASHA, Okla. — The family of a from Chickasha soldier says he was found dead at his home near Fort Riley, Kan., where he was stationed.
The sister of 28-year-old Pfc. Dale Tyler says he was found unresponsive just after 5 a.m. last Wednesday and was pronounced dead at 5:33 a.m.
The sister — Traci Casler — told The Express-Star in Chickasha that Tyler had no known illness other than sleep apnea. Casler says her brother went to sleep and never awoke.
An autopsy has been ordered to determine the cause of death.
His family says Tyler was married and had three stepsons.
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/10/ap_riley_death_101209/
The Associated Press
Posted : Monday Oct 12, 2009 12:11:12 EDT
CHICKASHA, Okla. — The family of a from Chickasha soldier says he was found dead at his home near Fort Riley, Kan., where he was stationed.
The sister of 28-year-old Pfc. Dale Tyler says he was found unresponsive just after 5 a.m. last Wednesday and was pronounced dead at 5:33 a.m.
The sister — Traci Casler — told The Express-Star in Chickasha that Tyler had no known illness other than sleep apnea. Casler says her brother went to sleep and never awoke.
An autopsy has been ordered to determine the cause of death.
His family says Tyler was married and had three stepsons.
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/10/ap_riley_death_101209/
Living with PTSD
Is it hard to live with PTSD? Yes, but it is harder than it should be for far too many veterans and their families. The problem is everyone is pretending this is a new problem instead of something that got this bad because no one was paying attention. Correction, very few were paying attention, and the few were the families of the veterans living with PTSD since Vietnam. Ask us if you can live with it, learn to laugh, find dreams to reach for again, find reasons to hope and inspiration to heal and you'll know what is possible. Keep asking the others just getting involved in this and you'll find reasons to want to just give up. Don't give up because when you look at a Vietnam veteran walking by you with his Vietnam Vet hat on, you are looking at a survivor. More than likely, his wife is still right by his side.
Sgt. Loyd Sawyer saw the faces of a lot of those who died in Afghanistan and Iraq. After working in the Army mortuary, those faces stuck with Loyd. Now his family tries to reach out to a man that is different from the one who left.
Read more »
PTSD: An Army colonel’s quest for answersArmy Col. Rich O’Connor does not mince words when he talks about the amount of mental health training he had before he took a squadron in the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment to war in Iraq’s Diyalah province in 2006.Read more »
No combat necessaryThe Department of Veterans Affairs is moving closer to simplifying the process for many veterans to link post-traumatic stress disorder to their military service, whether in a war zone or not, which opens the door for disability benefits. Read more »
Obama: Fixing VA could take yearsPresident Barack Obama not only wants to improve the treatment of America’s veterans, but also to reach out to homeless veterans, as well as those who have turned their backs on — or are unaware of — the benefits they’ve earned. Read more »
If they want adrenaline, let's give them adrenalineSoldiers who are used to life in a war zone can suddenly find life at home to be moving at a glacial pace. Extreme experiences such as thrill sports may help troops overcome what one soldier called "the Rambo syndrome." Read more »
Change would streamline PTSD claims for vets
True stories of PTSD, brain-injury victims and those who try to help
VA works to stop vets from repeating crimes
Sgt. Loyd Sawyer saw the faces of a lot of those who died in Afghanistan and Iraq. After working in the Army mortuary, those faces stuck with Loyd. Now his family tries to reach out to a man that is different from the one who left.Read more »
PTSD: An Army colonel’s quest for answersArmy Col. Rich O’Connor does not mince words when he talks about the amount of mental health training he had before he took a squadron in the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment to war in Iraq’s Diyalah province in 2006.Read more »
No combat necessaryThe Department of Veterans Affairs is moving closer to simplifying the process for many veterans to link post-traumatic stress disorder to their military service, whether in a war zone or not, which opens the door for disability benefits. Read more »
Obama: Fixing VA could take yearsPresident Barack Obama not only wants to improve the treatment of America’s veterans, but also to reach out to homeless veterans, as well as those who have turned their backs on — or are unaware of — the benefits they’ve earned. Read more »
If they want adrenaline, let's give them adrenalineSoldiers who are used to life in a war zone can suddenly find life at home to be moving at a glacial pace. Extreme experiences such as thrill sports may help troops overcome what one soldier called "the Rambo syndrome." Read more »
Change would streamline PTSD claims for vets
True stories of PTSD, brain-injury victims and those who try to help
VA works to stop vets from repeating crimes
DJ Am's 'Gone Too Far' premieres tonight on MTV
DJ Am's 'Gone Too Far' premieres tonight on MTV:
Watch the trailer and decide if you will tune in
October 12, 10:13 AM
The show that many people believe will be DJ Am's lasting legacy premieres tonight on MTV. 'Gone Too Far' is a special series that features the late DJ AM (also known as Davind Goldstein) helping eight drug addicts across the country get their lives back.
DJ AM tragically died of an accidental drug overdose on August 25. During his adult life, he had battled drug addiction. He survived a plane crash in September of 2008 that took the lives of four of his friends, which led to DJ AM experiencing Survivor's Guilt as well as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. He began using drugs again after the plane crash, starting with painkillers and then moving on to stronger drugs until it ultimately killed him.
'Gone Too Far' is not for the faint at heart. It is dark, it is filled with a real look at how drug addicts think and act. There is graphic drug use in the show ranging from shooting heroin to smoking a crack pipe. The addicts are high. Viewers will see the destruction that comes along with drug addiction as families plead with their loved ones to seek help.
read more here
DJ Ams Gone Too Far premieres tonight on MTV
Watch the trailer and decide if you will tune in
October 12, 10:13 AM
The show that many people believe will be DJ Am's lasting legacy premieres tonight on MTV. 'Gone Too Far' is a special series that features the late DJ AM (also known as Davind Goldstein) helping eight drug addicts across the country get their lives back.
DJ AM tragically died of an accidental drug overdose on August 25. During his adult life, he had battled drug addiction. He survived a plane crash in September of 2008 that took the lives of four of his friends, which led to DJ AM experiencing Survivor's Guilt as well as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. He began using drugs again after the plane crash, starting with painkillers and then moving on to stronger drugs until it ultimately killed him.
'Gone Too Far' is not for the faint at heart. It is dark, it is filled with a real look at how drug addicts think and act. There is graphic drug use in the show ranging from shooting heroin to smoking a crack pipe. The addicts are high. Viewers will see the destruction that comes along with drug addiction as families plead with their loved ones to seek help.
read more here
DJ Ams Gone Too Far premieres tonight on MTV
Operation Warrior Support
Daytona Beach Area Briefing
Special Guest:
Author Bill Cummins
"The Forgotten"
Date / Time: Mon, October 12, 7:30pm – 8:30pm
Location: Daytona Beach Association of Realtors
Address:
1716 Ridgewood Ave,
Holly Hill, Fl 32117
It will be a great honor to have Bill Cummins as our guest speaker who is the author of the book "The Forgotten". His book should be standard curriculum in every class room in America. It is a compilation of real stories of the real "Forgotten" heroes in the Korean war. You will not want to miss the testimony of this man who witness first hand why these heroes are not to be forgotten..
While writing "THE FORGOTTEN" the big question was... How do you honor a veteran?
We did it by turning each veteran into a witness, because a witness can legally put a first hand account on the record.
That's why each story in the book is written; 'In Their Own Words...'
The book in turn becomes a written witness to the veteran's sacrifices and the war.
Take a look at this site and find some more information on this group.
Warrior Support
Fake veteran faces 'stolen valor' charge
Fake veteran faces 'stolen valor' charge
Story Highlights
Richard Strandlof said he survived 9/11 Pentagon attack, Iraq bombing
In June, Strandlof admitted he lied
Penalty for stolen valor is up to one year in jail, up to $100,000 fine
Strandlof formed Colorado Veterans Alliance
(CNN) -- Richard Strandlof said he survived the 9/11 attacks on the Pentagon. He said he survived again when a roadside bomb went off in Iraq, killing four fellow Marines. He'd point to his head and tell people he had a metal plate, collateral damage from the explosion.
None of it was true. On Friday, the FBI arrested him on the rare charge of "stolen valor."
Strandlof, 32, was held "for false claims about receipt of military decorations or medals," an FBI news release said. Charges had been filed in Denver, Colorado, the week before, the bureau.
"The penalty for his crime is up to one year incarceration and a $100,000 fine," it said.
Before his deception was revealed, crowds ate up his story. He canvassed Colorado appearing at the sides of politicians. Inspiring and seemingly authentic, he spoke on behalf of veterans at the state Capitol.
He formed a group called the Colorado Veterans Alliance.
The whole thing was a lie, he admitted to CNN's Anderson Cooper earlier this year. Watch Strandlof discuss case in June. »
He wasn't at the Pentagon. He was never a Marine. He never served his country. He never graduated from the Naval Academy. He claimed his real name was Rick Duncan.
read more here
http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/10/12/fake.veteran/
Story Highlights
Richard Strandlof said he survived 9/11 Pentagon attack, Iraq bombing
In June, Strandlof admitted he lied
Penalty for stolen valor is up to one year in jail, up to $100,000 fine
Strandlof formed Colorado Veterans Alliance
(CNN) -- Richard Strandlof said he survived the 9/11 attacks on the Pentagon. He said he survived again when a roadside bomb went off in Iraq, killing four fellow Marines. He'd point to his head and tell people he had a metal plate, collateral damage from the explosion.
None of it was true. On Friday, the FBI arrested him on the rare charge of "stolen valor."
Strandlof, 32, was held "for false claims about receipt of military decorations or medals," an FBI news release said. Charges had been filed in Denver, Colorado, the week before, the bureau.
"The penalty for his crime is up to one year incarceration and a $100,000 fine," it said.
Before his deception was revealed, crowds ate up his story. He canvassed Colorado appearing at the sides of politicians. Inspiring and seemingly authentic, he spoke on behalf of veterans at the state Capitol.
He formed a group called the Colorado Veterans Alliance.
The whole thing was a lie, he admitted to CNN's Anderson Cooper earlier this year. Watch Strandlof discuss case in June. »
He wasn't at the Pentagon. He was never a Marine. He never served his country. He never graduated from the Naval Academy. He claimed his real name was Rick Duncan.
read more here
http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/10/12/fake.veteran/
Hazing in the Navy
Hazing in the Navy 4:12
CNN's Carol Costello reports on Navy hazing and examines why a commanding officer was promoted
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2009/10/12/am.costello.navy.hazing.cnn
CNN's Carol Costello reports on Navy hazing and examines why a commanding officer was promoted
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2009/10/12/am.costello.navy.hazing.cnn
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Time to be first for now
by
Chaplain Kathie
When God sent your soul to live here with us, He prepared you for what it was you were intended to do. You chose to be a servant, risking your life for the sake of others, as a fireman, National Guardsman, emergency responder and the courage you need is within you. When you chose to be a police officer or enter into the military, again, you are equipped with what you need to do what you were intended to do. Yet just as you were given tools, education and prepared to do it, you did it all as a human with the same needs, the same emotions and compassion as the people you were prepared to help.
You made up your mind to be last on your list of people to take care of. Anyone in danger came first, no matter what you had going on in your own life. You became last. Yet when you have gone through too much, too much pain inside of you, too much weight on your shoulders, you find it very hard to stop being last to be helped.
Do you look at the people you help any differently? Do they become less than you because they need you? Are they less worthy of your help? So how is it that you suddenly think that you are less worthy of someone helping you now? Do you think you can keep helping people as your own life falls apart? Do you think that you are in any position to help anyone as you want to scream, run, cry or hide? You can't help anyone. Neither can I.
I am going though a very difficult time right now. It's very hard to hang onto hope that tomorrow will be better, that miracles can still happen, that someone will be there to pick me up when I fall. I am drained of hope, my self worth is about as low as it can get and yes, I'm tired of feeling as if I'm supposed to have all the answers when apparently, since I ended up in the state I'm in, I certainly don't know as much as I thought I was supposed to know. What I do know is that if I expect people to come to me and let me help them, then I should be able to let them help me when I need it. Otherwise, I cannot ever return to helping anyone else again.
When you are a warrior, you act as if your life does not matter. For seconds, facing danger, it doesn't matter as much as someone else's life. When you are a caregiver, again, your life, needs and wants, are secondary. We keep thinking about what we can do or should be doing for someone else, even though we are in need. Without getting the help we need, what we end up giving to others is just not our best. We are not as much good to them as we would be if we healed ourselves first.
Knowing the pain we carry will help us to understand the pain others are in. It doesn't matter what kind of pain it is, but it does matter how we deal with it, experience it and share it. We could experience the death of someone we love, but still understand the pain someone feels going through a divorce. We could find ourselves out of a job but still be able to understand someone that was rich facing bankruptcy. How we react to their need depends on where we are spiritually and emotionally at that moment.
In crisis intervention we are trained to take care of our own families first and make sure we had what we need to sustain us for several days. This is done so that we are not torn between our responsibility and our families. It is also so that we do not suffer in need at the time we are needed. We are responding mostly to emergency responders to be there to take care of them because they are taking care of others first. It is the same thing when we are dealing with our own lives. Being prepared to do what is asked of us is great but first we have to acknowledge that we are in need of things too.
Trust me, the hardest thing to do when you are a servant is to take care of yourself. I keep wanting to rush back onto the computer the way I am right now instead of resting and taking care of what I am going through, but I'm sure you've noticed the lower postings here. I know that if I do not take care of myself, get past all of this, then I won't be any good to anyone else.
Be normal first and stop putting yourself last all the time or you won't be any good to anyone else.
Iraq veteran dies of cancer after lung transplant from heavy smoker
October 12, 2009
Iraq veteran dies of cancer after lung transplant from heavy smoker
Anil Dawar
An Iraq war veteran died after receiving cancerous lungs from a heavy smoker in a transplant.
Matthew Millington, 31, a corporal in the Queen’s Royal Lancers, had the operation to save him from an incurable respiratory condition.
But the organs were from a donor who was believed to have smoked 30 to 50 roll-up cigarettes a day. A tumour was found after the transplant, and its growth was accelerated by the drugs that Mr Millington took to prevent his body rejecting the organs.
Because he was a cancer patient, he was not allowed to receive a further pair of lungs, under hospital rules. The soldier had radiotherapy but died at home in Stoke-on-Trent in February last year.
read more here
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article6870424.ece
Iraq veteran dies of cancer after lung transplant from heavy smoker
Anil Dawar
An Iraq war veteran died after receiving cancerous lungs from a heavy smoker in a transplant.
Matthew Millington, 31, a corporal in the Queen’s Royal Lancers, had the operation to save him from an incurable respiratory condition.
But the organs were from a donor who was believed to have smoked 30 to 50 roll-up cigarettes a day. A tumour was found after the transplant, and its growth was accelerated by the drugs that Mr Millington took to prevent his body rejecting the organs.
Because he was a cancer patient, he was not allowed to receive a further pair of lungs, under hospital rules. The soldier had radiotherapy but died at home in Stoke-on-Trent in February last year.
read more here
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article6870424.ece
Iraq War veteran opens fire on police in Indiana
Iraq War veteran opens fire on police in Indiana
The Associated Press
LYNN, Ind. — An ex-Marine who served in Iraq has been charged with three counts of attempted murder of a police officer after firing on police.
Authorities say 26-year-old Andrew Ward of rural Lynn fired four shotgun blasts at three officers Friday night at a rural farm house. No officers were hurt.
read more here
Iraq War veteran opens fire on police in Indiana
The Associated Press
LYNN, Ind. — An ex-Marine who served in Iraq has been charged with three counts of attempted murder of a police officer after firing on police.
Authorities say 26-year-old Andrew Ward of rural Lynn fired four shotgun blasts at three officers Friday night at a rural farm house. No officers were hurt.
read more here
Iraq War veteran opens fire on police in Indiana
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